I was recently fortunate enough to pick the brains of one of the most respected names in branding, Marty Neumeier. Marty has authored a series of three “whiteboard overview” books, titled THE BRAND GAP, ZAG, and THE DESIGNFUL COMPANY, which have been hailed as breakthroughs by Fast Company, BusinessWeek, and Harvard Business Review. ZAG was recently named one of “The Top 100 Business Books of All Time.”

You might be thinking that branding doesn’t have a lot to do with social media. If that’s the case, you’re wrong. Your brand is incredibly important to every aspect of your organization and especially to any touchpoint you have with your customers. How you look, what you do, what you say and how you say it should all line up with your brand’s core beliefs, especially on social media. The relationships you build with your customers could last a lifetime… or they could be forgotten about tomorrow. It really depends on how much thought and energy you decide to put into your brand.

All of Marty’s books are highly recommended by our team as their ideas and principles can be applied to every aspect of your business. Marty and I had a great conversation, but instead of me just giving you the hour long chat from start to finish, I decided to break them up into shorter videos that focus on one question at a time. Check out the playlist below to get ideas about what your brand might be missing and how you can make it stronger.

If you have any more questions you can always shoot them our way by tweeting us @onesocialmedia or me directly @creativeithink. If you’re looking for more tips on branding and specifically on social media check out our free webinar by clicking below.

According to a recent Wikipedia search I did, there are about 157 fast food restaurant chains in the great United States of America today. That’s a lot of burgers and fries. As both a consumer and a foodie, I’m constantly thinking about where I can go to get my next delicious meal. So how do I usually decide? I take out my iPhone and do what I like to call a little ‘social investigating’. I consult apps/sites like Yelp for reviews, I use Google to find restaurant websites and menus, and I look to see if the place I’m interested in has a presence on the social sites I use (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.).

In some cases when I’m trying to decide, the restaurants stack up pretty evenly. They both have positive reviews on Yelp, they both have websites and menus, and they both have an online social media presence. So what is it that really makes a brand—whether it’s a fast food restaurant or a clothing store—stand out when its competition looks almost identical at first glance?

It all comes down to storytelling.

Thanks to social media, it has never been easier for brands to tell their unique stories. And every brand and business has a unique story. Telling it just takes a little time, a little creativity, and faith that you’ll get a positive return for your efforts.

It’s easy for brands to join social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube and simply use the same marketing/sales strategies they’re used to using in the traditional media outlets. They upload their 15 second TV commercial to YouTube, they take the last 10 seconds of a radio advertisement script and turn it into a tweet, and they upload their magazine advertisements to a Facebook photo album on their page. You know what most people think of that type of content when they see it on social media? A few words come to mind. Lazy. Ineffective. Promotional. Spammy.

The brands that are getting the most buzz on social media are the ones that are taking the time to creatively share their unique stories. They understand the importance of being genuine, and they legitimately care about the communities they’re sharing content with.

So why aren’t you sharing your story? Why are you being lazy and repurposing advertising pieces and promotional content that none of your followers really care to see?

To illustrate the power and effectiveness of storytelling on social media, I wanted to share two videos with you from two well-known fast food restaurants. Both videos were made to promote the same thing: french fries. The first video is from Wendy’s. The second video is from McDonald’s. I trust you’ll have no trouble at all figuring out which brand is using social media to tell their story.

Video 1:

Video 2:

Which fast food place do you think I chose after watching those videos? If you want to stand out on social media, if you want people talking about your brand over all your competitors, if you want to get anything back from your social media efforts at all, share your story. Sometimes it’s the only deciding factor between you and the other guy for consumers like me.

It’s nearly Mother’s Day. Have you bought a card? A nice present? Maybe a box of chocolates? Either way, you gotta remember to call not only Mom, but also Grandma, Great-Grandma and any other women in your life who has had an impact on you. Fo real. Do it. Mothers (and women in general) do not get enough credit in our world. Take some time to thank them this weekend and do something nice for them.

The Links:

• Mobile websites are going to continue to become more and more important for marketers. It’s like a breath of fresh air when I come across a great mobile site (take a look at www.americanadsm.com, for instance, on your mobile). Here are 8 tips to make yours more user-friendly. Hint: Simplicity is key. (click here)
• Apparently Bing (that other search engine…) is going to be unveiling a major redesign that is more heavily focused on social. Will they make a dent? Probably not. But ya never know. If nothing else, keep Bing and Yahoo in mind for SEO purposes. (click here)
• Facebook made big news last fall when it rolled out it’s iPad app. The problem is that they haven’t really updated it – and in fact it doesn’t even sport Timeline yet. Fail. Some reports say Facebook (and Zuck) don’t really care, though, about mobile. Big mistake if it’s true. (click here)
• There is a new round of video sharing sites vying to become the next Instagram (but for video, of course). Will you be creating an account anytime soon? (click here)
• Speaking of Instagram – here are some etiquette rules for you to consider. (click here)
• Finally, if you need something fun to post on your mom’s Facebook wall, consider this. I did.

Have a great weekend and let us know on Facebook or Twitter if we missed anything!

In high-school speech class, we’re taught that speeches typically have at least one of three purposes: to entertain, to inform, or to persuade. Whether it’s Dane Cook doing stand-up comedy, a campaigning politician at a rally, or a professor giving a geology lecture, if somebody’s talking, it fits into one of these categories.

But this isn’t limited to spoken word– the same can be said for almost anything written, including social media. Try going to your Twitter feed, reading through the top ten tweets, and figuring out which category each tweet belongs in. See what I mean?

Unfortunately, hot-shot orators have an edge that common Twitter users don’t: people’s time and attention. This gives them the opportunity to combine the three kinds of speeches with ease. If a speaker gets on a stage for even half an hour, for example, they have more than enough time to inform their audience, persuade them, and do it in an entertaining way. How is anyone supposed to accomplish that in a Facebook post, let alone the 140-character confines of Twitter?

You can’t.

But here’s something you can do: mix it up.

Instead of trying to persuade people to buy your product all the time, teach them something that might add value to their lives. Instead of writing sarcastic or witty commentary about everything, post something genuinely deep and thoughtful. Throw your friends and followers a curve ball, and they’ll realize that there might just be a side of you they never knew about. Being multi-dimensional like this is a great way to attract a wider audience while keeping your current audience more interested.

Don’t get me wrong– consistency can also be important. If you’ve got a particular image or reputation to uphold, you don’t want to do a complete turnaround. Still, I’m willing to bet that you’ve got more wiggle room than you want to admit.

Here are a few examples of people diversifying their social media portfolio:

1. The Australian Census

In July 2011, a Twitter user sent a goofy question to the Australian Census’ Twitter account. What he probably didn’t expect was for the organization to play along:

Why it works: The general public wants to see that the government is made up of real people. We all like it when the folks in charge are a bit less stuffy than usual, and this is one heck of a start.

2. The White House Rick-Rolling Someone via Twitter

After someone had complained about a boring correspondence briefing on Twitter, The White House’s Twitter responded to them with a link that sent them to the infamous video of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”:

Why it works: Mostly for the same reasons as The Australian Census example, but The White House gets extra points for being trendy and including a popular American prank.

3. Cake

If you’re not familiar with them, Cake is a California-based alternative-rock band, known for their absurd lyrics, great trumpet parts, and a fun, funky sound. Based on their music alone, the last thing you’d expect is for them to get all dark and serious on their Facebook.

But that’s exactly what they do:

Of course, there’s still the occasional music video, recording footage, or tour update, but this kind of content is also sprinkled throughout their timeline.

Why it works: Honestly, I can’t really say whether it does or doesn’t. Cake have actually alienated some fans by straying too far away from the music. This is a very extreme example, and while I don’t recommend it to everyone, I also can’t help but respect Cake for having the guts to stand up for what they believe in.

Whether you’re representing yourself or a business, take a look at your Tweets and Facebook posts and ask yourself this question: do I need to diversify my social media portfolio?

This was a week of reflection, as it was the one-year anniversary of the death of Osama Bin Laden. 2011 really marked the cementing of Twitter, and social media as a whole, as a (mostly) reliable news source. Two of last year’s biggest news stories broke first on social media – with the Japan earthquake/tsunami and then Bin Laden’s death. I distinctly remember watching the tweets flow into feed and being shocked at how quickly the news could spread. What a year it’s been.

The Links:

• The Guiness QR glass – claiming to be the world’s first product-activated QR code. This is awesome. (click here)
• Pinterest has been running into some intellectual property issues, with people posting things that are obviously not their own creations. Some folks wonder the service will eventually go the way of Napster. Our guess: probably not. (click here and here)
• A new service aims to tell folks how much of a… snob they are on social media. What’s your score? For the record, I’m only a 29. And someone in our office who will remain unnamed is well into the 60s. (click here)
• Facebook launched the ability to add your status as an organ donor, and also easily register for organ donation. Quite interesting. We’ll be curious to see how/if this has a real effect on saving lives, as Zuckerberg claims it will. (click here)
• LinkedIn acquired business presentation sharing site SlideShare this week. Both services will only continue to grow after this announcement. If you aren’t on, get an account with BOTH of these networks and you won’t be disappointed. (click here)
• And finally we present to you the crazy video of the week. Lesson: when going to a zoo, never dress your child in black and white stripes. I’m slightly terrified by watching this.

Anyone who’s ever been on YouTube knows how powerful it is (if you have never been on YouTube there is a good chance you might be an alien). It sucks you in, and if you aren’t careful, it WILL waste several hours of your life without you even realizing it. How does this happen?

The answer to that is simple: the ‘related videos’ or ‘suggestions’ feature of YouTube. You know, that little area to the right of a YouTube video that suggests what video to watch next instead of getting back to work or doing something productive with your life? Yeah, that feature. Still not sure what I’m talking about? Here’s a screen shot of 10 arrows pointing to it: This feature has ruined my life on several occasions.

It starts with one of your friends, coworkers, or family members sending you a link to a video they think is awesome. You watch the video and your life is still fine… and then it happens. One of the related videos on the right catches your attention, so you click on it and watch it. Next, one of the related videos on the right catches your attention, so you click on it and watch it. This process repeats itself over and over again and before you know it 3 weeks have passed and this is your new reality:

If you haven’t realized it yet, 2012 is all about two things: visuals and mobile. In an earlier blog post, I wrote the following: “That’s why 2012 is also the year of the photo-editing/sharing mobile apps. There are so many apps that exist within the iPhone/iPad App Store and Android Market that you can be using to share unique photos for your business or brand. So why aren’t you?” (Read the full post here).

When I published that post, it was my hope that readers recognized how important having a smart phone is when it comes to creating and sharing valuable content on social media sites.

I’ve had my iPhone for about four months since dumping my Android device. In that short span of time, I’ve gone app-crazy. I spend a lot of time reading about new apps. I download them, I teach myself how to use them, and then I recommend the ones I like to friends and coworkers.

Since I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from others about the apps I recommend, I decided to launch a new series on this blog that I’m calling 5 Apps in 30 Seconds. In each installment, I’ll decide on a theme to focus on, choose 5 apps based on the theme, and share them with you in a quick video.

In this first installment, I’m focusing on content creation apps as my main theme. The apps mentioned in the video below are apps that I believe businesses and brands could and should be using to develop interesting, entertaining, educational, and original content for their social media sites and overall online presence. Watch the video below now to hear my recommendations.

To download or learn more about the apps mentioned in the video, look for the links in the description section of the YouTube video. 

If you do end up downloading and liking any of the apps I recommended, please let me know! Come back and leave a comment on this blog post, or let me know on Twitter. I’m @RobWormley.

By the way, you might notice that I focus mostly on iPhone apps in this series. That should be a hint. Dump your droid and get an iPhone. It’s worth it. If you are too stubborn, however, click here for a list of the top 100 apps for Android.

Want to suggest an app for me to test out? Let me know! Send me a tweet or email me directly.

Everyone and their mother is jumping on the social media bandwagon. Companies know they need to have a social media presence but aren’t sure where to go with it. What seems to be the biggest question they ask themselves?

How do we stick out as a company that “gets it” on social media and grow our audience base?

You don’t want to get lost in the inter-webs as just another tweet, Facebook post or boring blog, and you don’t want to be labeled as the dinosaur company who isn’t on social media. We’ve talked a lot about how your business needs to be providing value in social media, but how else can you stand out from your competition?

Be Bold.

How Bold? Well, let’s take a look at the examples of three companies mentioned by Mashable in their article about the “10 Sassy Brands on Social Media.”

Wonderful Pistachios

This brand could just sit on social media and talk about the health benefits of pistachios, share recipes or other boring value pieces, but instead, they chose to be BOLD. Their “Get Crackin’” campaign has featured popular entertainment figures and Internet memes (think Honey Badger, the Winklevoss twins and Snooki.) Their TV commercials have really made a splash on the airwaves. How else are they bold? Check out how they respond to followers on Twitter. Not only do they choose to respond to people directly, but they’ve established a voice of quirkiness as well – a tone you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a nut company.

One of the best (and most creative) parts? Employees dressing up in giant pistachio suits to accompany their snarky, creative Facebook posts. Check it out!

Pepsi Next

This faction of Pepsi decided to bring in partners for their social media boldness. The main weapon? Video. Teaming up with Funny Or Die, Pepsi Next created a marketing stunt where improv comedians impersonated the Facebook personas of their followers.

The campaign, called “Internet Taste Test,” required fans to opt in, then based on their profiles, the improv comedians created a 30-second clip of what the follower would act like trying their product. Here’s an example:

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

This beloved product (to people of all ages) decided to mix the old with the new to create the bold. In celebration of their 75th anniversary, Kraft decided to temporarily pass the social media torch over to a couple of lovely women in their 80s. Using the hashtag #OldBirdsNewTweets, followers joined the conversation as the two ladies learned about memes, Internet slang and technology. An entertaining experience for all!

The best part? These lovely “old birds” learning the concept of planking. Talk about bringing together older and younger generations. Kraft got this one right!

What does your company do to stand out and be bold? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page!

As far as hard social media news goes, there’s not much to tell ya this week. Sorry folks. We do have plenty of other great stuff to share though, so let’s jump right in.

The Links:

• Klout is supposedly launching branded pages soon.. er, “squads”.. so you can see the exact people who are the biggest influencers of your brand. The real question, though, is does it all matter? (click here)
• Speaking of Klout, what does your score really mean? This interesting piece talks about how a score on a website may not in fact be the best indicator of one’s influence or expertise. (click here)
• Putting social media into your traditional advertisements is effective after all. Not to pat our own backs, but here at One Social Media we’ve been telling clients this from the very beginning. The most effective campaigns include both new and traditional media. (click here)
• A new dashboard for Pinterest has launched that is supposed to act like a Tweetdeck or Hootsuite for the popular pinning service. Schedule pins, see all your re-pins and likes, etc. Quite interesting. (click here)
• LinkedIn launched an iPad app this week – and a very nice looking one at that. It reads much like a newspaper, with people’s updates, stories shared and folks changing positions. Have you downloaded it yet? (click here)
• Last, but certainly not least, we bring you “Guy On A Buffalo”. The video is taken from a 70s film called “Buffalo Rider”. With it now being public domain, a folk band made up a song and satirical lyrics to go with it. If you have 9 minutes, please watch all four episodes.

One of the biggest challenges anyone or any brand has when it comes to social media is figuring where they should be spending their time. A new channel pops up every day and there isn’t enough time to put the needed amount of effort in to every channel. The key is finding a social media mix that allows you to reach the most people who may be interested in what you have to say, as often as possible.

Lucky for us Online MBA put together this infographic of some of the current demographics of some of the most popular social media channels right now. This infographic offers insight into the age, income, education and gender of each social media channel’s user base.

If you’re looking for a better way to reach the best possible audience you can find download our Essential Guide To Internet Marketing.